Schutzhund Training Equipment Items Will Be Familiar To Most Handlers
Schutzhund training is a specialist program offered internationally as an evaluation test focused on the German Shepherd dog breed to test the aptitude of individual dogs for protection training. The testing program has existed since early 1900s and is used widely by police and military forces. The program involves a wide range of equipment.
The sport involves the three stages of tracking, obedience and protection. Tracking training is used to assess scenting ability, mental discipline and physical endurance. The obedience stage tests the predisposition to obey commands. Protection phase requires the dog to engage and release a decoy on the command of the handler. See these schutzhund training tips for insight on earning titles.
Both a short leash (usually one meter) and a long tracking line (up to ten meters) are needed. The most popular material for a short leash is leather. A synthetic light material similar to biothane is common for the long leash.
Soft dog toys or tugs are used to prepare a pup for the sleeve. They teach a puppy that biting some items is permissible and biting others is not. Good tugs are around one inch in diameter and six to ten inches long. They can be made of various materials such as stuffed leather, fire hose or rope. The tug should not be too stiff as pups enjoy being able to squeeze and sinking their teeth into the tug. Larger tugs are used to begin protection training. A line is typically attached to one end of the rag.
Dumbbells are used for retrieval training. Schutzhund has specific dumbbell requirements, based on weight, for each level of the program. SchH1 requires 650 grams, SchH2 1000 grams and SchH3 2000 grams. In all cases, the SchH1 dumbbell is used for jumping.
Both a standard short leash (usually three feet) and a long tracking line (usually thirty three feet) will be required. Popular materials are leather for the short leash and a light material like biothane that will not retain dirt or become heavy when wet for the long leash. Body harnesses are optional. They assist control since their effect is to position the holding point closer to the center of mass of the dog. A harness should fit snugly but not too tight. As a guide, it should be possible to slide a human hand between the harness and the dog. The harness should have a strong D ring on the top of the back of the dog to attach the leash or line.
Schutzhund is based on the idea that a dog is a pack animal. It teaches the dog to protect itself and the pack leader, the handler. In addition to the items mentioned above, other equipment items include blinds, ramps and stands, whips, sticks, jute rolls, coveralls, leather aprons and sleeves. Handlers planning on engaging their dogs in the program can usefully allocate time to become familiar with all the equipment used in the the program and how to best employ them.
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